One quick aside: cookies and cream, however you spell it, isn’t my top pick for ice cream flavors. I don’t dislike it, mind you—I’m not crazy. Still, a dear friend of mine tends to reach for it almost exclusively, no matter how Cinnamon Toast Crunch-y or delightfully nostalgic our frozen options are becoming in general.
Anyway, through that friend I’ve come to recognize that when cookies and cream ice cream is done well, it ranks among the more exquisite flavors you can snag—a timeless classic for a reason: vanilla or creaminess meeting chocolate, a smooth, chilled scoop punctuated by flirtatious chunks of Oreo-style cookie. So when I learned that Aldi’s store-brand Sundae Shoppe had added Mochi Ice Cream’s Cookies & Cream flavor, I was eager to try them. Would it all become a sugary soft, sticky mess? Or would my cookies-and-cream conviction be forever altered?
Our Thoughts
Pros: Portion control. It might sound like a dull or joyless perk, but these mochi ice cream portions are nearly perfectly sized for an easy, sweet treat. They arrive six to a tray, so you aren’t overcommitting. Plus, they’re handheld. The mochi itself is pleasantly supple and thick enough to surround the ice cream “disk” inside, without delivering a doughy bite.
On the flavor front, it’s naturally a touch sweeter—mochi plus ice cream tends to push the sweetness envelope. My first impression wasn’t “this is too much,” but more like “this tastes a bit like a delicious, airy cloud.”
Cons: It would be silly to pin the dislike on melting ice cream—this isn’t that issue. Yet it’s a minor caveat: as they warm, even after a short time out of the freezer, the ice cream begins to melt and can slip out of the mochi. If you’re tasting them slowly, consider eating one at a time. (Yes, there’s a chance you’ll reach for a second, or a third, especially since each piece is about 80 calories and kind of adorable in appearance.)
Final Verdict
If you can handle the (brief, yet definite) sugar rush, these make for a solid option, especially as an after-school bite, a lighter dessert, or a mid-afternoon “I earned this” moment of stress relief. They’re also fairly affordable—about $4.95 for a box of 6.
